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Why do Game Genies wear out from imports ? I have always heard that they "Won't last long if you use it as an import adapter", my question is why. Whenever I read about game geneies and imports, they're always so FREAKIN' cryptic about it. I don't want to find the lost temple of atlantis to figure out why these wear down. I just wantt to know because I'm thinking of buying one for both my Genesis and SNES.
I'd assume that its because the cartridge could wear out import adapters very fast, like the NES Game Genie and the way it oxidated even faster.
I don't see how using it for imports would wear it out any faster than using it for codes on every game you play.
I guess they probably mean you'd be inserting / removing carts more frequently.
I'd say I'd agree with 0x15e
That's really weird, I guess people who buy imports and have Game Genies and review the two together have ADD or short attention spans. :lawl:Quote:
Originally Posted by 0x15e
Whoever says such things doesn't really know what they're talking about. The Game Genie is pretty robust and isn't cheaply made like most import adapters.
Funny you said that, So I guess you're saying Melf doesn't know crap about Game Genies ? :confused:Quote:
Originally Posted by Joe Redifer
+1, the only game genie I have that doesn't work is badly corroded on the pin connectors, I bet if I could get the verdigris off of it it would work (it was given to me in that condition, btw). People say all kinds of stupid stuff that isn't true, especially with retro systems. "ya gotta blow into the games, THEN the system, then the games again!" "PS2 disk read error is a design flaw and isn't fixable" "Wrapping your XBOX 360 in a towel and leaving it on for an hour fixes the RROD!" All idiotic statements I hear way too often.Quote:
Originally Posted by Joe Redifer
P.S. BTW, 99.9% of the time, disk read error is from a dirty laser lens, the other .1% of the time its from physical abuse from the owner in one way or another. For the record, I have an NES, SNES, FC Twin, Genesis+32X+Sega CD (all model 2), Dreamcast, PS2, Wii, 2 Game Gears, a Game Boy, and a regular Yobo FC and I have never had one system "die". I've had weird stuff come up, like for some reason my Game Gear shuts itself off after the copyright screen if you don't turn the volume and brightness down before turning it on (I think the potentiometers increased relative resistance over time), but all the rest work like an absolute charm. Of all the games I've collected, many said to "not work," only 2 or 3 have failed to perform, and all of them had some sort of internal corrosion from either water/moisture damage or perhaps improper cleaning materials (BLEACH). All this stuff will last god damn near forever unless you are a dirty slob and let your system's condition go to hell.
Sure... if he says that.Quote:
Originally Posted by sega fan
http://www.sega-16.com/feature_page....%20Made%20EasyQuote:
Originally Posted by Joe Redifer
Don't think that's what he meant, is it?
The Genie is a poor choice of "long term" converter because of how you have to use it, not because it'll "wear out". You can't find region bypass codes for every game (afaik), and it's a pain in the arse to input the ones that do exist every time you want to play a game. If you plan on getting lots of imports, you're better off getting a region mod.
The most unreliable converters imo are Mega Keys - I've had two, one of which was broken when I got it, and another which just stopped working one day. (No fault of mine - I'm very careful with my games & stuff). They're the next best thing to a switched MD, but they might well die inexplicably.
i have three and the are the best and will last a life time
I %100 disagree with this statement. There are many moving parts, rails wear out, motors wear out, Diodes wear out, gears wear out etc. I've seen MANY PS2's with disc errors and all the cleaning in the world won't fix them. These are systems that have never been abused. Early PSX models are worse with plastic drive rails that wore out over time. Many first gen PSX systems didn't last 6 months before their drives didn't read disks! Same goes with Dreamcast systems. There are plenty of them with drive problems and it doesn't mean they have been abused. They simply wear out as mechanical things tend to do. I don't even need to go as far back as the SegaCD Model 1. Your telling me only .1% of them don't work and it's because of abuse? Yeah right. They are delicate pieces of technology and the smallest wear on a drive can do it out! They don't last forever!Quote:
Originally Posted by 17daysolderthannes
BTW Many Game Gears have problems with sound output and I think it has something to do with the crappy capacitors in them. Once again not abuse or exposure to "dirty slob" like conditions (of course that doesn't help) but you have to understand many Game Gears are dead and it has nothing to do with the user! They are old and that's that. You're just lucky as none of your systems have broken, worn out, burnt out.
I had a first gen PSX, I took ridiculous care of it and the drive wore out in 4 months. It wouldn't read anything unless you turned it upside down. Then the internal PSU burnt out on it... twice in one year! Once again we are talking about technology... it can break and it doesn't always mean it was abused!
Obviously taking good care of your systems goes a LONG way. I have almost every system imaginable, sometimes many of the same one and they all work great. But I'm not going to deny the possibility that any of them could burn out at any given time just from regular use or even just in storage! Unlikely but still possible. I know many people who took good care of their early PS2's only to have drive failure after drive failure. Its like anything else. I mean Hard Drives fail everyday and it has nothing to do with abuse. They simply wear out! It could be a manufacturing flaw on that particular drive, a bad bearing... who knows.
Cartridge based systems have no delicate, precision built mechanics in them... that's good. If you take care of them they will most likely last a really long time. Keeping contacts clean will of course make or break a cartridge based system. As for the cheap adapters the contact pins may be made of cheap metals and they are more likely to corrode.
That post was before I worked for play n trade, now I'm finding about 50%-75% need a new laser or drive vs. a lense clean, though I still say most of it is from user abuse in one way or another be it dirt, improper positioning (unlevel, etc.), or heat vents being blocked. There are rare exceptions, especially with the failurebox 360 which will shoot itself in the face if you look at it wrong. The game gear thing is capacitors, I didn't know it at the time because I never looked into it. I'm still not convinced Dreamcasts are as fragile as people say seeing as mine is a September 99 model and runs like a champ. Most PS2s with disk read errors (fat anyway) just need a small adjustment in the rail height or the potentiometers on the bottom of the laser. Dust and dirt DOES significantly increase wear on the mechanical parts, as does unnecessary heat from improper placement (on carpet, cramped entertainment center, etc). I have known people with 1001 Playstation 1's that still play fine, hell, there is one sitting waiting for hookups at Play N Trade that still works (I was thinking of buying it cord free since I have a PS1 dual shock and the power cable is cheap, but I'm not convinced about the whole 1337 sound of the SCPH 1001 rumor). I would say no more than 1 out of 100 failures is due to pure manufacturing defect (of the ones that actually are shipped out and make it past the first week), the rest are all some sort of user abuse beyond normal wear and tear. These drives could run continuously for years if properly cared for. Everyone seems to think they take über good care of their systems, but if that's the case, why do I pull a shag carpet of filth out of every system I fix?Quote:
Originally Posted by MN12BIRD
I didn't notice that post was from February. You've learned a lot since then it seems.
LOL its funny how many Audiophilles use the 1001's as CD Players. I wish I still had mine for that reason.